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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Getting "moored" with Jennifer Gooch Hummer, plus a book giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

We are excited to have debut novelist, Jennifer Gooch Hummer here to talk about her novel, "Girl Unmoored," and answer some fun questions. Be prepared to laugh...

Jennifer Gooch Hummer has worked as a script analyst for various talent agencies and major film studios. Her short stories have been published in Miranda Magazine, Our Stories, Glimmertrain and Fish. She has continued graduate studies in the Writer’s Program at UCLA, where she was awarded the Kirkwood Prize in fiction. Currently, Jennifer lives in Southern California and Maine with her husband and their three daughters. Sounds like she has quite a lot of traveling to do! You can learn more about her by visting her website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks to BookSparks PR, we have one copy of "Girl Unmoored" to share with a lucky US reader. There's also a contest on Jennifer's website going through April 6th (this Friday!!!) where you can be entered to win a variety of gifts if you comment on her blog. (You'll get bonus entries for purchasing her novel, as well.)

First off, tell us about your awesome book, "Girl Unmoored," and what inspired you to write it.
But first, let me thank you so much for having me!

Okay, when I was ten years old this girl knocked on my head, introduced herself as “Apron” then crossed her freckly arms, tapped her foot and waited for me to tell her story. I tried. I even turned off The Partridge Family and started, “A Girl Named Apron” in a red spiral notebook (which I still have). Sadly though, the story had no plot – all Apron did was pack up to go live with her grandmother. Years later, when I met my friend Mike, I found Apron’s story. My Mike is not the same as the Mike in the book, but he too flipped his blond hair around, and he too taught me a thing or two about courage. A few reviewers have mentioned that "Girl Unmoored" seems very personal. It is.

In one sentence, what was road to publishing like?
Put it this way: I made my daughters promise that if I died of old age before I finally got the book published, they were to erase my name and add their own and keep submitting, or else I would haunt them forever.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
Get sassed by my three dramatic daughters, followed by my overly attached dog and stared at by my adorable husband. I’m a lucky girl.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned this: Promise your characters you will tell their story. I went through what so many new authors go through before finally getting published. I could wallpaper every bathroom in my entire neighborhood with rejection letters (and I live in LA so that’s a lot of houses). I kept quiet about everything having to do with my book - very few people knew I was even writing one - so that I wouldn’t have to talk about the gut-wrenching process. But I wasn’t going to quit. I promised Apron and Chad and Mike that I would get their story out there, which I know seems insane (okay, it is insane). But it kept me going. When the going gets tough, write for your characters. They showed up, so should you.

If “Girl Unmoored” were made into a film, who would you cast in the lead roles?
Well first, Shirley MacLaine as Grandma Bramhall...she would be spectacular! A 13 year-old Ellen Page (star of Juno) would be a great Apron. Ewan McGregor has the heart to play Mike. Dennis Quaid as Apron’s father, Dennis (!), would be great. As for Chad, probably an actor who has not yet made himself a household name. And M? Hmmm. Well the fake mom from Tangled comes to mind. I’ve already told my dad he can play Mr. Orso.

What is one item you can't live without?
My iPhone.

What is your favorite place to spend money?
High-end home stores, like the ABC Store in New York. We moved into a new house two and a half years ago and still have a room with no furniture in it. Unfortunately, I have expensive taste, so I’d rather gather fantastic things slowly than buy cheaper things to fill up space.

What is the last movie you saw?The Hunger Games.

What is your favorite spring-themed food?
Arugula.

Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Yes! This is research for one of my next books: Do any of you use Feng Shui in your apartment/house/space? If yes, what kind of remedies do you do, and why?

Special thanks to Jennifer for chatting with us and to BookSparks PR for sharing "Girl Unmoored" with our readers.

How to win "Girl Unmoored":Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):1. Please answer Jennifer's question: Do any of you use Feng Shui in your apartment/house/space? If yes, what kind of remedies do you do, and why?2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Her book has some great reviews on Amazon, congrats to her! And I don't practice feng Shui, because I know then I would become super paranoid if everything didn't align perfectly, and would be convinced that I was doomed! That and...I still live with my parents, and Feng-Shui-ing the house is a conversation I'd rather not have!! ;Pnina565(at)aol(dot)com

Disclosure of Material Connection:

Some of the links in the posts above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."